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Qatar is looking to shore up its legislation regarding cybercrime, including punishment for accessing sensitive government data, but a draft law recently approved by the country's cabinet also puts limits on online expression.

The state-run Qatar News Agency published a brief about it (http://www.qnaol.net/QNAEn/NewsBulletin/Pages/default.aspx — have to click on date, May 29 and find the “Cabinet” update):

“[The cabinet] approved a draft law to enact a law on fighting cyber crimes and to refer it to the Advisory Council. The law punishes anyone who manages, via the internet or any information technology means, without a right, to enter an electronic website and informational system of any of the state's organs, institutions, authorities or otherwise affiliated bodies or companies thereon, and anyone who establishes or runs an electronic site via the internet or any information technology means, or publishes false news with the aim of jeopardizing the state safety, its general order, internal or external security.”

But more importantly – as far as online freedom of speech is concerned – QNA reports:

“The law also punishes any one who infringes on the social principles or values or otherwise publishes news, photos, audio or visual recordings related to the sanctity of the private and familial life of persons, even if they were true, or infringes on others by libel or slander via the Internet or other information technology means.”

No further information about the draft law has been released yet, but it's clear that the language is sufficiently vague enough to have wide-reaching implications about what you can and cannot say online in Qatar.